OHIO — Data from the Ohio State Highway Patrol shows distracted driving violations and fatal accidents are down this year in Ohio. But law enforcement said they want to see them drop even more. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Driving distracted is now a primary offense in Ohio

  •  If caught violating the law, you can get points on your record and a fine 

  • There are fewer distracted driving violations and fatal crashes in 2023 than in 2022 

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, it has issued just over 8,200 distracted driving violations so far this year. That’s about 500 fewer than there were all of last year. 

Law enforcement believed the slight drop in fatal crashes caused by distracted driving results from Ohio’s new law that went into effect earlier this year. It makes distracted driving a primary offense, meaning you can be pulled if you’re texting or using your phone in other illegal ways while driving.

“The needle is moving in the right direction, but we still want to see that number get smaller all the way, hopefully to zero,” said Sgt. Bridget Matt, Ohio State Highway Patrol.

You are encouraged to pull over and call the Ohio State Highway Patrol at 1-6-7-7 if you notice someone is driving while distracted on the highway. A trooper will be dispatched to your location to investigate. 

Related Stories